In the Dark
by imagination-running
Summary: Percy's new friends don't know as much about him as he knows about them. It was just supposed to be a simple get together with Percy's parents, but somehow it becomes a whole lot more than Percy ever anticipated. Where the newest heroes of Olympus learn about Percy's not so picturesque childhood. One-shot. Trigger warnings: mentions of abuse, drug dealing, and suicidal thoughts


"In the Dark"

And Percy thought that attracting monsters was going to be a problem.

May the gods bless his parents because Sally and Paul had decided that they wanted to have the Seven, Nico, Reyna, and Calypso over to the apartment for dinner. Yes, they knew that monsters were a risk. Yes, they knew that demigod egos were a risk. Yes, Hazel did learn a few monster warding tricks to specifically place over the place once they got there so that they might be able to make it to the blue cake dessert without a monster attack. And yes, his parents still wanted nine demigods and a Titan to invade their tiny apartment anyway. So, despite the very real possibility of having half of the inhabitants of Tartarus show up at the front door, Percy made arrangements for everyone to come over.

Leo and Calypso were already in the city for other plans, so they said they would just meet everyone at the apartment, but everyone else was coming together. Argus had driven them as far as the closest subway station to camp and left them to their own devices, which was, of course, the subway. However, due to an inevitable monster attack, the subway had been shut down three stops from the one for his apartment. In fact, it left them right smack in the middle of his old neighborhood, the one they had lived in with Gabe. He did his best to avoid that area since they had moved away the summer he turned thirteen, and he had done a pretty fair job of it. He had only been back about three times, and all of those times were because of monsters. He never really had any friends in the neighborhood or any reason to return, so he wasn't fussed about the situation. Now, however, he and nearly all of his closest friends were going to have to walk through it – at night – to get to his new neighborhood, and that, he decided, was worse than monsters.

In a word, the neighborhood was rough. Dark, cramped streets. Drugs, thugs, lots of crime, drunk and drug-addled homeless people, pervs, the whole bit really. His mother had always cautioned him about going out at night when he was kid. Sadly, the violent situation at home often left him feeling safer on the streets when his mother was working nights. And since that "situation" demanded that he earn his keep despite Percy not being old enough to be properly employed by anyone, sometimes he made drug runs for the local dealer for a few bucks. Sure, most of the time, he hunted down legit jobs: sweeping storefronts, selling magazines, and walking dogs, but sometimes, those weren't available, and he had to resort to other measures. Basically, he knew these streets. He knew what kind of people were on them after dark, and as tough as his friends were, they still looked like easy pickings in the mortal world, which wasn't a stretch since they weren't supposed to use powers against mortals. That's not to say they couldn't defend themselves, but martial arts against a gun didn't really have the best odds. And imperial gold and celestial bronze did nothing to mortals, so their weapons were utterly useless anyway. Suffice it to say, Percy was not too keen on this particular night time stroll.

They were just about to head up the stairs away from the subway crash they had caused, when Percy stopped them at the bottom of the steps. "Wait, before we go up there, there's something you need to know." His face and voice had become as hard and serious as any of them had seen it before, which before now, had always been in battle.

"What is it?" Jason asked warily.

Percy met every pair of eyes in the group. "Look, the neighborhood up there is rough."

"We've handled rough before," Nico interrupted with an exasperated sigh.

Percy glared at him. "I'm talking guns, rapists, thieves, and thugs, Nico. This isn't our normal kind of rough. Don't get jumpy. Don't get giggly. Don't get stupid. It's like you're going into battle with a hoard of monsters. Stay alert, keep your walk purposeful and calm, keep your conversation quiet and at a minimum, but not nervous. No glancing around, no being skiddish. If anyone approaches us, keep your trap shut, and let me do the talking. Don't act surprised by anything me or anyone else says. And don't mention names too loud. Got it?"

The others looked a little taken aback, but murmured and nodded in agreement. He gave Jason and Annabeth one last look. "Grace, don't ask questions, at least until we get to the apartment, and Annabeth, for the next several streets, you're not my girlfriend."

Annabeth looked outraged and opened her mouth to protest, but Percy cut her off. "I'm serious, Annabeth. It's best if no one in this area knows just how much you mean to me. I'm talking fatal flaw, 'sacrifice you can't make' serious."

She still looked rather put-off, but she nodded anyway.

"Good," Percy said. "Now, Reyna, take up the rear. Nico, you get back there with her but a half a step in front of her. Jason, you and I take the front. You a half a step behind me. Everyone else kinda make a knot in the middle. Look as natural as you can." And without another word, he led them up the stairs.

The first block, everything went fine. Sure Hazel had giggled a little, once, at something Piper said, but he heard Frank shush her with half a laugh and that had been the end of it. He wasn't worried. He had even heard Thalia giggle before, and if she could get away with it, anyone could. Everyone had kept up a conversation, quiet enough to keep from attracting attention, but loud enough to not seem anxious. They were doing exactly what Percy had asked them. Really, his biggest regret so far was not making Jason take off the sweater vest, but he figured they only had to make it a few more blocks before he considered them home free. It would be fine. Percy had spotted some people hanging out in the shadows, but no one approached them. He let out a breath in relief.

Unfortunately, he did it a moment too soon because just as they crossed onto the second block, a couple of guys Percy remembered from his childhood walked over to him. He could tell that they were already getting the beginnings of a high, and he hoped that that along with a separation of a few years would keep them from recognizing him. No such luck, of course.

The first guy was about Percy height. He had stringy brown hair that hung down over his ears and dull brown eyes, and his skin was neither too pale nor too tan. In all honesty, Percy was sort of reminded of the color of his mother's bedroom walls: beige and bland. The second guy was short and stocky with a buzz cut. The guy was wearing an old camo army jacket, and Percy thought his eyes were the same color green. Neither guy looked particularly smart, but somehow the bland one had remembered his old neighbor. "I know you...You're John – No, no, no – Jackson, right? Yeah, Jackson. Remember, Trevor? This is Ugly-o's kid."

Percy and his group had nearly stopped, and Percy looked at the duo impassively. "I think you've got the wrong guy. I don't know anyone named Jackson or 'Ugly-o.'"

The short guy Trevor looked at Percy with his mouth gaped open like a guppy and his eyes narrowed. "Nah, Zane, you're right. It is Jackson. He's got that look that little PJ used to have, like he was trying to be tough, even though every body knew he was wimp, getting knocked around by a fat, ugly drunk. Heard you finally cracked, PJ. Heard you killed fatso and got locked up in a rubber room." Trevor was smiling now, and Percy remembered why he had never counted the guy as friend.

Zane apparently found the whole thing funny, too, because he snorted and leered in Percy's face. "I heard it was a prison for hopeless cases, juvenile delinquents that can't be rehabbed. Bet you were the belle of the ball there." He snickered.

Trevor gave a throaty chuckle. "I bet he would be a popular companion at either place. So, which is it, little PJ: the murderous nutcase or the hopeless juvie?" Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb laughed again.

Percy could hear his blood rushing in his ears, and he could feel the sheer rage rolling off his whole group. Jason was gritting his teeth a foot behind Percy, and he knew if he didn't do something this would get real ugly real fast. Somewhere between Jason's storm powers and Nico's control over the dead, his two childhood bullies would go from a drug-induced high to a full-out bad trip. It might make them swear off drugs for awhile, but that's assuming they survived the ordeal.

Percy pulled out a steel pocket knife he kept on him when he was out in the city at night. The blade was no longer than three-inches, but it was sharp and scary enough. He had had Beckendorf make it for him sometime between his fifteenth and sixteenth birthdays, and it was charmed to look like a key chain until he opened it. It had actually been more than a little useful on some of the combat missions he went on during those days. He opened it and watched the guys' eyes widen. He took a step towards the idiots and answered in a low, menacing growl. "I told you, I don't know any Jackson. We're just passing through, so let us by and no one gets hurt."

The two guys immediately backed off. Zane was stuttering as he stumbled on the curb. "Uh...yeah...Sorry, dude. You just looked like this kid we used to know. Shrimpy kid – definitely not you. Sorry." They took about three steps backward before turning tail and running across the street and around the corner, only looking back once. Percy watched them, his eyes dark with anger, until they were out of sight. Then, he closed his knife with a snap and stuck it back in his pocket.

"Dude," came Frank's awed voice. "You wouldn't have really hurt those guys, would you?"

Percy looked back and smirked. "Of course not, but I'm not above scaring them. Now, come on, we've got a few more blocks to go before we're in the clear."

The group started back down the sidewalk. Jason glanced over at him. "What they were talking about, someone 'knocking you around,' was that true?"

Percy looked over at Jason. "What did I tell you, Jason? No questions."

"But, Percy-"

"Less talking, more walking, Grace. We've got more company up ahead."

Jason, thankfully, quit talking, and Percy felt his heart rate speed up when he recognized the dark-skinned man up ahead. It was Marcus, the drug dealer Percy had used to work for occasionally. He looked about the same, sagging pants, big gold chain around his neck, big-n-tall jersey, topped with an open jacket. He had a different girl hanging on his arm, but that was nothing new. He often did have a new girl. This one had porcelain skin, hair dyed as black as Hades's throne and straight as a pin, a make-up caked face, a too small tank-top that left nothing to imagination about her overly-large "assets," classic hour-glass figure, a jean jacket over the top, a mini-pencil skirt, and four-inch stilettos. Marcus also had a new body guard, but even Percy could tell the guy really didn't know what the crap he was doing. He barely had enough muscle to qualify him for his title of "The Muscle." He looked pale and anxious, eyes darting around, and a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and upper lip. Percy could even see his rapid breathing from a hundred feet away. He must have really screwed Marcus over to be in the position he was in because even if you knew what you were doing, being Marcus Trezvant's bodyguard was almost more dangerous than being a son of Poseidon. The guy had a lot of enemies, and all of them were armed. Being his bodyguard paid well, unless you were there because you owed him something.

You did not want to owe Marcus Trezvant anything. You either worked it off with interest or died trying. Not only was he the local drug lord, he was one of the gang leaders in the area. He had been pretty high up when Percy had done drug runs for him years ago. From the looks of that sleek, black Yukon parked next to the group, Percy guessed the guy had only risen in the ranks of the gang since then – and had expanded his drug dealing territory.

Marcus was smart and focused. There would be no avoiding him or tricking him. Marcus had already spotted him, and as Percy passed under a street light, Marcus jerked his chin up in recognition. Percy copied the motion and kept walking forward as Marcus started making his way to him. Percy was thankful his group had stayed back a bit because this was going to be a more delicate exchange. Jersey shore wanna-be had climbed back into the Yukon, but "The Muscle" had come with Marcus, not that the guy had a choice.

"If it isn't Percy Jackson, my delivery boy." Marcus held out his fist, and Percy bumped it with his. "Haven't seen you around lately, PJ. Where you been?"

"Oh, you know, Gabe went missing a few years back. Cops think he died, so Mom decided to move to go to college."

"Old Ugly, huh. Yeah, heard some rumors about him disappearing." Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Heard you offed him and your mom dumped him in the Hudson."

Percy shrugged and shook his head unconcerned. "Nope. Don't know what happened to him. He got drunk one night, went for a walk, and never came back."

Marcus eyed him for a moment. "Yeah, that kind of thing happens sometimes. So where you been, PJ? You got buffed up. Got some friends. They look like they been hitting gym, too."

"Military camp for troubled teens," Percy answered easily. "Weights, fake weapons, and martial arts."

"Hmm..." Marcus considered Percy's story. "You got that look in your eye, Jackson, like my old grand-dad, like you've seen combat. He fought in Korea and Vietnam early on."

Percy was dancing on thin ice, but he looked Marcus dead in the eye and answered, "We're technically not allowed on the front lines, but we're expendable errand runners. We see stuff."

"You always were good at running errands. You and your friends out on leave for good behavior or something?"

"No," Percy answered slowly. "We've served our time. We're free, for now. We supposedly can't be rehabbed, so we'll see how long it lasts." He gave a light chuckle.

Marcus grinned. "I could use some muscle like you, PJ. Got a spot opening up soon. Grand a week, cash..."

Percy let out a whistle and nodded slowly. "You drive a hard bargain, Trezvant. But it would seem that my muscle is a hot commodity, and I've already accepted another offer – legit offer, and I'm a little less likely to get shot."

Marcus narrowed his eyes in suspicion and whispered, "You with the cops?"

Percy snorted quietly and jerked his head back. "With my background? Not hardly. It's still a military thing. Special errands for the big wigs. Turns out I'm pretty decent with weapons, so I'm doing a little instructing, too."

Marcus still seemed on edge. "So what are you doing on my turf? Not planning on making any anonymous tips, are you? Because, you know, I took you under my wing all those years ago. Patched you up after Old Ugly busted your ribs that one time. Gave you a job. You owe me, PJ, and I'd hate to see anything happen to your friends, especially that hot blonde with the legs."

Percy cursed inwardly. Of course Marcus had figured out exactly who meant the most to him. This had the potential to turn bad. He looked casually at the guy and kept his voice even. "Come on, Trezvant, you know me. I haven't said anything for all these years, have I? We're just passing through. Subway broke down a few stops too early, so we took the opportunity to get some exercise."

Marcus grinned. There was a dangerous glint in his eye. "I heard about the subway. I'll tell you what, PJ, I'll give you and your friends a ride to your neighborhood. You keep your mouth shut, and I won't have to call my cousin who lives in your new neighborhood to run an errand for me. We got a deal? I'll even leave Barbie alone. You were one of my all time best delivery boys, after all."

"Sounds like a deal, Trezvant."

Marcus smiled, his white teeth practically glittered in the light from the street lamp. "No word from Barbie and your friends, PJ, unless I say so."

Percy nodded and turned back to his friends as Marcus and his bodyguard headed back to the Yukon.

"Alright, guys, here's the thing."

"Who was that guy?" Annabeth interrupted.

Percy looked at her. "I'll tell you later. Right now, he's our ride."

"What?!" Jason shook his head and took a step back.

Percy gave him a hard look. "Yes, Jason. He's going to drive us, but you can't say a word unless he asks you something. You got me? Not one word. We'll take the ride and in silence, or we'll regret it."

The others didn't look comforted. Really only Reyna and Nico looked like they were even remotely okay with the idea, but everyone nodded and headed to the Yukon behind Percy. Marcus and his girlfriend were sitting in the middle seat, so Percy had Nico take shotgun. Hazel and Piper sat on Frank and Jason's laps respectively in the back seat, and Reyna sat with them. Jersey Shore reject was sitting on Marcus's lap. Percy sat beside them, and Annabeth climbed in between him and the door. And as soon as she shut the door, The Muscle put the SUV in gear and headed down the road.

Immediately, Marcus looked at Percy and asked, "So, PJ, are you going to tell me who your friends are?"

It was phrased like a question, but Percy knew there was no getting out of answering it. And since he couldn't come up with aliases on the spot for everyone, he was going to have to break his own rule and give names. "Well, up front is Nico. This is Annabeth beside me, and in back, there's Reyna on the end. And Piper and Hazel are sitting on Jason and Frank's laps. Guys, this is Marcus. I've known him since I was a kid."

Marcus nodded and gazed over the group, taking everyone in. "PJ here tells me you all met a military camp and that you've been to war zones running errands. What was your last errand, Nico?"

Nico turned his head to look at Marcus. Percy prayed that the ride would go quickly and that the interrogation would not be too thorough. "Actually, Marcus," Nico began, "we don't just run errands in combat zones. And my last errand was to assist in the transport of an ancient Greek artifact from Greece to America."

Marcus eyed Nico and nodded. "And what about you, Annabeth?"

Percy really did not like how he had paused before saying Annabeth's name. He forced himself to stay as calm as the ocean on a windless day. Annabeth looked over at Marcus, her gray eyes calculating the drug dealer. Percy knew the instant she had locked onto the guy. She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm great with research, so I was on the team that discovered where the artifact was located and recovered it."

Marcus was running a hand up and down his girlfriend's thigh as he listened to Annabeth. "What was this artifact?"

"All I can say is that it's a statue," she answered firmly.

Marcus nodded and glanced into the back seat. He looked at Hazel. "You look young. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?"

Percy was finding himself more and more impressed with his friends. And when Hazel held Marcus's gaze without so much as a waver, he almost sighed in relief. "I'm originally from New Orleans," she began, "and then we moved to Alaska for a brief time before moving to California last fall."

"And what did you do to get sent to a military camp for teens who can't be rehabilitated?"

Hazel eyed him quietly for a moment before answering carefully. "While in Alaska I got mixed up with the wrong kind of people, did what they told me to do without question, helped a real bad woman rise to power, and for all my trouble, my mother was killed. I found out about the plot to kill her at the very last and tried to stop things, but it was too late. Military camp is my second chance, I was told. A chance to turn my life around and make things right."

By this point, Percy was praying that the ride would end soon, despite his friends' smooth answers to tough questions. They were at the last stop light. It just needed to turn green, and the two cars in front of them needed to get a move on.

"I see," Marcus answered slowly. "If you ever need a third chance, PJ here can tell you where to find me. He knows what kind of skills I look for in an employee. Don't you, PJ?" he added as he turned back to Percy.

Percy nodded once. "It's been a few years, but I haven't forgotten."

Just then, the Yukon pulled into a parking space, to Percy's relief, and the bodyguard put the car in park. Marcus glanced over his guests once more. "Well, here you are, Jackson. Remember what we talked about."

Percy nodded and bumped Marcus's outstretched fist again. "I remember. Thanks for everything, Marcus."

"No prob, man. And if I need anything, I'll let my cousin know." Percy didn't miss the veiled threat.

Annabeth had already climbed out of the car and was letting the others in the back out as Nico got out of the front. Percy looked Marcus in the eyes. "Gotcha, man." And he climbed out, too.

They waited until the Yukon was headed back the way it came before they started walking. It took half a block before Annabeth got in front of Percy and demanded answers. "Who was he? What did you talk about with him? And what's this about his cousin?"

Percy looked at her, his lips in a thin line. "Keep your voice down. He's got eyes and ears everywhere, and they are all going to be trained on us right now. I told you who he is: a person I used to know named Marcus. I made a deal for the ride, and his cousin is going to make sure I keep my end of it."

"So what illegal thing has he got you doing...PJ?" Reyna asked.

Percy glared at her. "First, don't ever call me 'PJ.' And second, all I have to do is keep my mouth shut, which is why we need to keep walking."

"I thought we weren't supposed to use our names," Frank commented.

Percy started walking again, and the others fell in with him. "He's smart. He would have been able to tell if I was lying. Don't worry, nothing will happen."

"That sounds suspiciously like something will happen," Piper pointed out.

"It won't," Percy assured her. "We've got each others' numbers. He's got people and power, and I've got people and power. That's understood. We won't do anything to provoke the other. So nothing will happen."

"It sounded like he's got something over on you, Perce," replied Jason.

Percy stopped, turned, and looked at the group. "Look, he's got nothing on me. At least nothing that he can use without incriminating himself. The only other thing he's got is my famous fatal flaw, but like I said, he knows it would be bad to try anything, just like it would be bad for me to try anything with him. I don't like what he does, and I don't agree with it. But here's the thing, if you stay out of his way, he'll generally stay out of yours. He's big and has power, but he doesn't abuse it. All I have to do is respect that. Plain and simple. Nothing illegal. Nothing bad. Nothing death defying. Now, we need to hurry. We've still need to cross the street, and dinner was supposed to start five minutes ago."

They didn't say anything else as they crossed the street and entered the apartment building. They all crowded into the elevator, and Percy pushed the button for the third floor.

"Gods, I hate elevators," muttered Annabeth as the elevator began to rise.

Percy wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You and me both, Wise girl."

Within seconds, they were at the third floor, and doors opened. The demigods filed out, and Percy led the way to his apartment. Frank stumbled on his own feet. Hazel laughed, and Nico snickered. Percy grinned and shook his head as he stuck the key in the doorknob and opened the door.

"Mom! We're here. Sorry we're late," he called out.

His mother came around the corner and smiled. "Percy," she sighed in relief. "I was just about to call Annabeth. Come in, everyone. Come in," she said as she ushered everyone through the door.

Once everyone had pushed their way through the door and into the living room, Percy made the introductions. Leo and Calypso had arrived a few minutes before everyone else, and it looked like Leo was entertaining Paul with his fire and mechanical powers. Calypso was laughing and holding the smoke detector in one hand and the battery in the other. Paul was smiling, and Leo looked a little maniacal, which wasn't all that unusual.

"Aquaman! You made it!" Leo came over to him and clapped him on the shoulder with a smoking hand.

"Dude, I told you, don't call me Aquaman, and seriously, I'm not fireproof. Put your hands out before you go around touching people," Percy retorted, batting Leo's hand away.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're more fireproof than most people. What took you guys so long?" he asked as he turned to the rest of the group.

"We might have caused a subway wreck while fighting off half a dozen monsters," answered Piper with a sly grin.

"Yeah, and then Percy took on a tour of the creepy neighborhood," continued Jason.

"We hitched a ride for part of the way with some sketchy guy and his – entourage," said Reyna.

"That Percy apparently knows," added Annabeth with a glare.

"And here we are," finished Hazel brightly as she put a few magical wards.

Sally looked at them oddly. "Well, Percy, I want to know the details, but first we need to eat. So come this way, everyone."

She and Paul headed up the group that entered the kitchen. The table was laden with food. His mom had gone all out. There was a huge pot roast with carrots and at least two dozen potatoes surrounding it. She had made a gravy from some of the broth. There were rolls, brown rice, green beans, corn, macaroni and cheese, and salad. And he knew for a fact she had cake and cookies stuffed somewhere waiting to be served for dessert.

Since the table was only built to fit four people, everyone fixed their plates and headed back to the living room to eat. They were scattered all over the room. Percy knew to leave the seats for the girls and immediately sat on the floor at the corner of the coffee table. And he laughed out loud when Leo was reprimanded in front of everyone by Sally for sitting on the couch and leaving Piper to take up a space on the floor.

"That is no way for a gentleman to treat a lady, Leo Valdez," she stated.

Leo smirked. "Ah, but Miss Jackson, Piper isn't a lady."

Sally just raised her eyebrows and gave him "the look," and Leo shrunk down and slid to the floor.

Piper laughed and hopped up into his vacated spot. "He can take on Gaea single-handedly, die, come back to life, rescue a banished Titan from an island no man can find twice, and yet one look from the mortal Sally Jackson scares him into acting like a gentleman. You should move to camp, Miss Jackson. I know of a few others who could use 'the look'."

"Oh, gods..." Percy groaned.

Sally laughed and ruffled his hair as she walked by him on her way to the recliner in the corner. "Thanks for the offer, Piper, but I've got my hands full keeping just two demigods in line. I'll leave the rest of you to Chiron."

Annabeth didn't even hesitate. "Percy's a tough boy, Sally. You can go ahead and admit it: I'm the good kid around here."

Paul laughed out right and just about choked on his coke doing it. Everyone except Percy burst out laughing. Percy scowled and threw his wadded up napkin at his girlfriend but couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye or how the corner of his mouth fought to turn upward.

The meal continued pretty much in the same manner. Teenagers teasing one another with Sally and Paul throwing in a comment here and there. Everyone laughing. In all honesty, it was about the most fun any of them had had all together ever. The wards that Hazel had put up kept the monsters away, so it was just – in a word – fun.

After the meal, there was, in fact, blue cake and blue cookies, which everyone loved. Percy even noticed that at least seven of his friends had wrapped up extra cake and cookies to sneak back into camp. He shook his head and smiled.

His mom and Paul were keeping up conversations with everyone, asking them about their backgrounds and experiences. Some stories were sad, some were funny, most were interrupted by another person embellishing certain parts of stories. Leo seemed to be particularly found of doing the interrupting. After the conversation had died down and everyone was beyond stuffed, Sally stood to gather dishes and go clean the kitchen.

Percy jumped up, too, and took the plate from his mother's hands. "I got this, Mom. Just sit and relax."

Annabeth stood up, too, gathering plates from the others around her. "Yeah, just sit, Sally. You did the cooking. We can do the cleaning."

Sally smiled at them and sat down as the other teenagers stood up and headed to the kitchen with dirty dishes to put away the leftovers – what little there was – and wash everything up.

Percy went to the sink and began to run dish water to wash the dishes. Piper, Hazel, and Calypso were putting food into containers. Annabeth was organizing containers in the refrigerator. Nico was scraping plate scraps into the trash can. Leo was setting scraped dishes onto the counter. Jason was pulling out the broom, dustpan, and a new trash bag out of the utility closet. Frank had gone to wipe down the the tables in the living room, and Reyna was standing off to the side overseeing the entire thing.

Soon, Percy was basically the only with a job. Reyna eventually had come to help him rinse and dry the dishes. Annabeth was putting them away. And Jason was just finishing sweeping the floor.

Reyna bumped his shoulder. "So, Percy, tell us about Marcus."

Percy looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I already did – twice. He's just a guy I used to know."

She rolled her eyes as she rinsed a plate. "Yeah, and Circe was just a woman I used to know. Now, spill."

Percy fidgeted and shrugged. "I used to do some work for him as a kid to earn a few bucks. And he helped me out of a couple of scrapes. He was probably the closest thing to a friend I had back in that neighborhood."

"Yeah right," Nico scoffed. "Percy Jackson friendless? I don't think so."

Percy twisted around and looked at him. "It's not easy for any demigod in the mortal world, Nico. I'm no exception to that." Nico seemed to accept that, and Percy turned back around to wash the stack of saucers they had eaten cake and cookies on.

Annabeth came around on his other side with a handful of serving spoons to put away. "So what kind of work did you do for him?"

Percy kept his eyes trained on the soap suds. "I made deliveries. I ran errands, just like he said."

"So you were a delivery boy for a drug dealer," commented Frank.

Percy took a deep breath and released it. "Occasionally, yes, I was, but only when my normal jobs weren't available or didn't pay enough."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Jason half-shouted. He jerked Percy around to face the kitchen. Soapy water went flying off his hands. "You make it sound like you needed a job, and you just said you were a kid. What aren't you saying?"

Percy glared at him. "There's a lot of things I don't say, Grace. I've got too many people depending on me. There's a lot of crap I don't say because if they heard it, they wouldn't listen to me when they need to. I'm sure you could say the same about yourself. When people's lives are at stake, as leaders, we can't afford to be weak."

"Those people aren't here now, Jackson, and you know about all of our pasts. You know the crap behind the fearless leader. Now, it's your turn. What aren't you saying?" Jason retorted.

Percy yanked himself out of Jason's grip and turned back to the dishes. He could feel his hands starting to shake, so he thrust them into the water with so much force, he splashed the counter three feet away. He began to scrub the roasting pan.

No one said anything while Percy tried to gather his thoughts. Jason was right. He did know about all of them. He knew about their pasts, and his story wasn't even as bad as some of theirs. He had his amazing mom, and that made all the difference. Still, he hadn't really spoken to anyone other than Annabeth, Grover, Paul, his mom, and occasionally Chiron about what he used to deal with as a kid, and those conversations were long in the past and never easy.

At last, he took a breath and began. "My ex-step-dad was named Gabe Ugliano. That's who Zane and Trevor were talking about. They called him 'Ugly-o.' Anyway, mom only married him because of how mortal he smelled. His scent was so strong, so repulsively mortal, and just repulsive in general, that it masked my demigod scent from monsters. I was rarely attacked by monsters as a kid because instead of smelling demigod, they just smelled Gabe, which is pretty sickening, actually."

"How do you smell mortal?" questioned Leo.

Percy shrugged. "Apparently demigods smell like buttered bread. In Gabe's case, I recently discovered that he smelled like Tartarus, which was a scent he perfected with a combination of horrible hygiene, cheap cigars, and beer – gods, always beer." He muttered the last part and could almost smell Gabe, again, and it made his stomach churn. He shuddered and went back to washing the starchy rice bowl with renewed vigor.

"So, what does this Gabe guy have to do with you needing money?" asked Hazel quietly.

Percy tossed his head to the side. "Well, on top of his other addictions, he was also a gambling addict. Poker. He always played poker. And since he and I didn't exactly see eye to eye on anything really, and since I wasn't his kid or his problem, and since he was still being forced to provide a roof over my head and crap, he said I owed him. I had to provide his poker funds – or at least twenty bucks a day when I was home, so I had to have a job when I wasn't away at boarding schools."

"That's a lot of money for a kid, Percy," Piper commented.

Percy craned his neck and half-smirked at her. "Don't I know it." He turned back to the sink, remembering all the jobs he used to take in order to meet Gabe's demands. "I used to go around the neighborhood looking for work. I wasn't picky: dog walking, taking out trash, grocery carrying, sweeping storefronts, and stuff like that. Sometimes I could get hired on to sell magazine or newspaper subscriptions. And a couple of times I was actually a poop-scooper for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Heck, I even helped muck out the stables for the NYPD a few times. But, like I said, sometimes those jobs weren't available or weren't paying enough for what I needed, so that's when I stumbled onto Marcus.

"I caught him selling drugs one day when I ran into an alley to get away from a couple of bullies. He threatened me, told me he would make my life a living hell if I didn't keep my mouth shut. I told him he couldn't make it much worse than it already was, but that if he'd pay me to run errands for him or something, I wouldn't say anything to anyone. He agreed, and so whenever I needed to make a few quick bucks, I looked him up."

"I just don't understand," Calypso started. "What would Gabe have done if you didn't bring the money he wanted?"

Percy sighed. He had been hoping to skirt around that, but, of course, someone would bring it up. He didn't stop washing the cake plate. "He would smack me around, Calypso. Hit me, knock me into a wall or counter, push me, stuff like that."

He heard her breath hitch. "And you were a child?"

Percy thought back to the first time Gabe had hit him. He had been seven. For two years, Percy had endured Gabe's threats and verbal abuse, and he had finally gotten brave enough to say something back. Gabe had shoved him so hard that Percy had fallen onto the coffee table, knocked his loose tooth out, and busted his lip. He had later told his mom that he had tripped over his untied shoe laces. All the while Gabe had watched him from the corner of the room with hatred in his eyes and his hand clenched into a fist. The last time Gabe had abused him had been when he was twelve and home from Yancy for Christmas break. He had smarted off, again, and Gabe had knocked him unconscious on Christmas Eve. When Percy had come to, he had left the apartment and spent the next four hours until his mother got home contemplating jumping into the nearest river, but he had decided he couldn't leave his mom to the mercy of Gabe and had gone back home.

Percy nodded in answer to Calypso's question. "Yes, I was a kid," he said barely above a whisper.

There were only two pots left. Percy wanted this conversation done by the time they were.

No one said anything for minute while Percy scrubbed one of the pots. Then, finally, Nico spoke up. "So what happened to Gabe? Those guys on the street seemed to think you killed him. Did you?"

Percy stopped mid-wipe. "I didn't kill him."

"But he didn't get drunk, go for a walk, and never return, either, did he?" Nico persisted.

Percy went back to washing with a vengeance, but didn't answer.

"I killed him," a voice answered calmly from the door.

Everyone turned to see Sally standing there just as casually as if she had just announced that she had once been class president in high school. Paul stood behind her. Percy wasn't sure how long the two of them had been there, but he hadn't said anything that they didn't already know.

"Hold on." Reyna said, looking from Percy to Sally incredulously. "You killed your husband?"

Sally stepped into the room with her empty tea cup in hand. "Yes, I did. Percy and Poseidon helped, of course, but I did it."

Leo's eyes just about bugged out of his head. "Percy's dad helped you?"

"In a way, yes. He sent the weapon, which I guess actually means that Hermes was in on it, too, come to think of it." She added as she rinsed out her cup and placed it in the draining basket.

Jason stepped forward shaking his head. "Wait. What did you do to Gabe, Miss Jackson?"

Annabeth looked almost excited. "Oh, it was genius – the smartest idea Percy's ever had. Can I tell, Sally?"

Sally nodded and gestured to the empty floor in front of her. That was all Annabeth needed. "You see, on our first quest, Percy, Grover, and I ran into Medusa. Percy killed her by cutting off her head, which was left behind as a spoil of war, and because he does stupid things when he's angry, he mailed the head to Olympus to the gods. And once we completed the quest, Percy went home to make sure that Hades had kept his promise and had released Sally and sent her back home because he had been holding her hostage. She was there, of course, and while they were talking, the box with Medusa's head showed up on the bed beside them. Poseidon had mailed it back to Percy, so Percy left it with his mom to use as she saw fit. Around a week later, she had turned Gabe into a stone statue and had sold it a museum. She used the money to find them a new apartment and to pay for her first semester of college. The police never suspected a thing, and Gabe was pronounced to be assumed dead a year later, leaving Sally legally single. And that's when Paul came into the picture. I told you. Genius."

Reyna whistled. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, Miss Jackson."

"Ditto," commented Frank.

Nico looked respectfully impressed. Hazel and Piper looked like they had found their new hero, and Leo, Calypso, and Jason looked shocked.

"Dang, Percy," Leo finally said, "and I thought you got that scary side from your dad. You've got it coming from both ways!"

"Does that mean you've still got Medusa's head sitting around here somewhere?" Piper asked. She sounded a little sick at the thought – and weirdly excited.

Sally laughed. "No, I took it way out into the middle of nowhere north of the city, burnt it box and all, then buried it. It's gone."

Percy pulled the plug on the sink, squeezed the water out of the washrag, and went to put the rag in the wet hamper.

"Well, for a bunch of teenagers, you did a pretty decent job of cleaning up the kitchen," Paul remarked after a silent minute, effectively changing the subject. Percy rolled his eyes and grinned.

"That's us, Paul: experts at saving the world and cleaning kitchens," Percy quipped.

Annabeth wrapped her arm around his waist. "Percy, you're a lot of things, but never consider yourself an expert at cleaning anything."

"I did a perfect job with those dishes. You can't deny that," he insisted.

"Seaweed brain, creating mini whirlpools in the sink to scrub off the stuck-on food does not make you an expert. It makes you a cheater." She raised her eyebrows at him, as if daring him to deny it.

"Yet, I didn't see you taking over to do it properly, so it would seem that it's allowed," Percy countered.

Annabeth opened her mouth to retort, but Reyna interrupted her. "Is there anything you two don't argue about?"

Sally laughed. "You only get worried when they quit arguing, Reyna – and then you knock on the door before opening it."

Percy felt his face instantly turn tomato red. "MOM! You caught us kissing _one_ time." he protested.

At the same time, Annabeth hid her face in her hands. "Oh, gods...please, no..." she moaned.

Everyone else burst into uncontrolled laughter.

Sally came and patted Percy's shoulder. "You two do make it too easy," she laughed.

Percy glared half-heartedly at her. "Says the woman who gave birth to me at age nineteen."

"Do as I say, not as I do, dear," she answered casually, which only made the laughter continue.

Percy let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't win for loosing with you."

She smiled sweetly at him. "I'm the mom. You're not supposed to win. That's how the game is played."

Percy tried to scowl, but ended up laughing with everyone else. "Fine. You win."

His mom laughed and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you, my Percy," she whispered so only he could hear. He gave her an extra squeeze, and they pulled apart.

His friends' laughter was quieting down. Sally glanced at the oven clock. "Well, kids, I think Paul and I are going to head to bed. I have an early meeting with my editor tomorrow. It was good to meet you."

She and Paul were met with a chorus of "Good nights," and they made their way back to their bedroom.

The teens made their way back to the living room. Leo immediately started pilfering through Percy's video game collection. "Hook the system up, Aquaman," he demanded as he pulled a game from the basket

Percy groaned. "Again with the Aquaman? The system is already plugged in, Blowtorch, just turn it on."

Jason and Nico grabbed the controls, and in no time they had the whole thing going. "Percy, you've seriously got to get some Call of Duty or something. What's up with that? And 'Blowtorch?' Really?" Leo complained.

"Dude, I've fought in real wars," Percy pointed out, ignoring the nickname complaint.

"And this game isn't a war set-up?" Leo countered as his fire daemon character took out a monster from Jason's army on the game. "Actually, this game is more like the wars you've actually fought in than Call of Duty."

"I've played Call of Duty with the guys on the swim team," he answered absently. "Gave me more nightmares than this one ever has," he continued more quietly.

Leo nodded once, but didn't say anything else, understanding about the nightmares. The girls were sitting on one side of the room talking, and Frank was sitting beside Percy. They watched the other guys playing for a bit.

"I'm sorry," Frank said out of nowhere.

Percy looked at him. "For what?"

Frank shrugged and looked embarrassed. "You know...For what you told us earlier."

"Frank," Percy said seriously, "I'm the same guy that I was before that conversation. It's in the past, and that's that."

"Well, if that's true, then why didn't you tell us before now?" Jason called from the floor as he commanded his giant scorpion creature to poison Leo's dragon.

Percy sighed. "What did you want me to do, Jason? Come up to you in New Rome and say, 'Hi, I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and leader of Camp Half-Blood, and I was abused as a kid by my ex-step-dad that I helped my mom kill four years ago.'"

"That would have been a heck of an introduction," Piper commented.

"No one is saying that should have been the first thing out of your mouth, Percy, but you could have trusted us with it before now. You do trust us, don't you?" asked Hazel simply.

"Of course I trust you guys! We just had bigger problems, and it didn't come up. Besides, it's in the past, and it would have led to a lot of people that, at the time, I barely knew, knowing the biggest, darkest secret about my mom - one that could land her in prison for the rest of her life. It's one thing to talk about what Gabe did to me, but it always leads to what my mom and I did to Gabe. And I'm not going to risk someone turning her in for taking action to protect herself."

"I'm just playing the devil's advocate here, but she could have just divorced him," Reyna countered.

Percy glared. "What? So he could go find another woman to do the same crap to? You think what he did to me is bad? It's nothing on what he did to her."

Nico paused the game and twisted around to look at Percy. "He beat your mom, too?" His dark eyes swirled in rage.

Percy looked at him steadily. "She was his wife, Nico, and I spent a lot of time in boarding schools. Not to mention, he had certain...expectations of her that he made sure she met one way or the other."

"Oh, Hades, no!" Piper was already on her feet, looking ready to find Gabe's statue and chip it into tiny bits.

"My point, exactly, Piper, but he's already dead. Settle down, or you'll wake up her and Paul," Percy responded. She sat down, but she was still seething.

Leo looked at Percy. "I can't believe you didn't drown him or something before your mom got to him."

Percy looked down in shame. "I didn't know until after that first quest, and even then, I only figured out that he hit her. It was over a year later before I found out about the rest."

"If he hurt you," Calypso began, "then why would you think he would leave Sally alone?"

"Because that was the deal," Percy answered with a sigh. He was tired of this conversation and wanted nothing more than to go bury himself in the blankets on his bed until morning.

"What deal?" Annabeth asked slowly. They had finally ventured into the part of his past that he had never told a soul.

Percy ran a shaky hand through his hair, stood, walked to the window, and gazed out at the city that never sleeps. "When I was nine, I noticed a bruise on mom's cheek, and I knew what had happened. She claimed she had ran into a shelf at work, but I knew one of those lies when I heard one because I had spent the past two years telling them myself.

"Anyway, I got mad, and I went to Gabe. I told him I would make twice as much money for him every day, and he could use me as his punching bag all he wanted on the condition that he could never hit my mother again. He agreed, and I was young and naive enough to believe him."

"Does your mom know about that?" Frank asked tentatively.

"I haven't told anyone before now," Percy admitted, still looking down at the street below. "Please, don't say anything to her."

His request was met with silence, and Percy began to worry.

"We won't say a word, Percy," Hazel promised, at last, to Percy's relief.

"Thanks," he answered as he turned back to the group. "Look, I've got three sword-fighting classes and one swim class to teach tomorrow, and I'm getting pretty tired. I'll grab some extra pillows and blankets for you, but I think I'm going to head to bed. You just make yourselves comfortable."

Reyna stood up. "Actually, I need to get back to camp tonight. Do you think you could call Guido to come?"

Percy nodded. "Sure," he answered. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment and called out to the pegasus. Moments later, he looked back at her. "He's on his way. He said he'll land on the roof. I can walk you up, if you want."

"I can make it on my own, but thanks," she answered.

"Why don't we head that, way, too, Leo?" Jason suggested as he logged out of the game and stood up from the floor.

Leo glanced at his best friend. "Come on, man, just a few more minutes." He threw a grenade at Nico's skeleton force.

"Leo, the Festus express is leaving now," Piper answered.

"Just a few minutes until I beat Aquaman's high score," he said absently as he blasted another monster on the screen.

"Leo!" Calypso called sharply. "It's time to go."

Leo jumped up, suddenly realizing what was happening. "You're so bossy, Sunshine, but I guess if we must, then let's get going. I'll be back to beat that score, dude," he added, looking to Percy.

Percy smiled and nodded. "Sure, man. Anytime."

Frank, Hazel, and Nico were heading for the door, too. "We've got to get back, too, Percy. Thank your mom for the meal for us," Hazel said.

"I will," he assured her.

"Oh, come here," she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him in a hug. "You're a good guy, Percy. None of that with Gabe is your fault," she said quietly. She pulled back and kissed his cheek. "Sleep tight. We'll see you tomorrow," she said as she stepped toward the door.

Piper hugged him, too, and Jason slapped him on the shoulder. Frank shook his hand, and everyone, except Annabeth, headed to the elevator. Percy waved at them one last time as the elevator doors closed, then he and Annabeth walked back into the apartment, locking the door behind them.

"I didn't mean to run them off," Percy stated as he turned off the game and put away the controls.

Annabeth came and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "You didn't run them off, Percy," she whispered. "They knew the conversation was getting to you, and it is getting late."

"Still..."

"Still nothing, Seaweed brain," she interrupted as she came around to stand in front of him. She ran her fingers through his hair, and his eyes closed automatically, a soft sigh escaping him. "Sometimes you even fool me, and I forget just how many burdens you carry."

He opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. "No more than you, Wise girl."

"My dad and step-mom may not have been the greatest parents, Percy, but they never hit me."

"It's not a competition, Annabeth."

She held his gaze. "I know. But while you're off trying to help others with their problems and pasts, people forget that you have your own. Most of the time, I think they don't even realize that you've got such tough stuff in your past. You always come across so carefree and relaxed that no one really knows about a lot of this dark stuff, especially the younger campers. But then, I see you between training sessions taking a cat nap because you've been up all night with nightmares. Or when you're winded more than usual on an ozone action day or after a lot of running. Or when you wince from an old injury. And then I'm reminded of all that you don't talk about, of all that you keep to yourself. And I marvel at how well you just handle it all."

He didn't think he did anything all that extraordinary. "It's just life, Annabeth. I just go with it."

"Be honest, Percy, some days are hard. Some conversations are hard."

Percy leaned his forehead against hers, and hugged her tight to him. His fingers got lost in her curls, and he could almost feel the tension the conversations about Gabe had left in him begin to melt away. "Some things are hard, but you make everything easier," he whispered.

She leaned up just enough to kiss him. He kissed her back and felt the rest of the tension drift away. He felt a knot in his chest that he didn't even know had built up loosening, and all thoughts of Gabe and his own past were left behind as he got lost in the kiss. His focus narrowed to the girl in his arms, and nothing else mattered.

At some point they stopped kissing and just stood there hugging one another. Annabeth had her head on his chest, and he leaned his cheek onto the top of her head. "I love you, Wise girl," he said softly, trying not to disturb the peace of the moment.

She squeezed his middle a little tighter. "I love you, too, Seaweed brain," she answered just as softly.

"It's late," he said after another couple of minutes. She hummed in response. "Come on, Wise girl. I'll grab my pajamas and take the couch."

She looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. "You could sleep in the bed with me."

"After Mom's comment tonight," he smirked. "I think not."

"Coward," she whispered just before pulling him into another kiss.

He pulled back and raised one eyebrow. "You could sleep on the couch with me."

She narrowed her eyes and smirked at him. "I would, but I don't want to ruin your mom's good image of me."

"Coward," he echoed as he leaned in to kiss her, again. She tugged him closer, and he kissed her harder. Percy wasn't sure how, but they soon found themselves sitting in the middle of the floor having an outright make-out session, not that he was complaining.

A bit later, they were still wrapped up in each others' arms, catching their breath. "I thought we were supposed to be going to bed," Annabeth pointed out.

Percy's eyes were closed. "Mmm...I guess we were, but this was more fun."

"Well, I guess that's true," she conceded.

"You know it's true," he mumbled. He could feel himself starting to doze off, but he was comfortable snuggled up next to Annabeth. They didn't sleep in the same bed often, but it had happened enough that he knew he always slept better with her by his side. And even though all thoughts of Gabe had been banished for now, Percy knew that once he was settled on the couch alone for the night, the previous conversations of the day would come back and sleep would be short and fitful. If he could get away with "accidentally" falling asleep with her in the living room, he would be fine with it, even it meant risking comments from his parents.

Soon, however, Annabeth was pulling away from him. "Percy," she whispered. "Percy, wake up. You'll be more comfortable on the couch."

He tightened his grip on her. "I'm comfortable right here."

She smiled and laughed a little. "But what about your parents?"

"I imagine they're comfortable where they are, too." He answered with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. "Percy..."

He sighed. "Alright. Let me get my clothes."

They got off the floor and headed down the hallway to Percy's room. He grabbed a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt from his dresser and tossed her a too small pair of pants and a shirt. Then he headed to the bathroom across the hall to change and brush his teeth. After he was finished, Annabeth took a turn. He sat on his bed to wait on her, so that he could tell her goodnight. She was back within a couple of minutes. He stood up and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his torso. "Good night, beautiful," he said.

"Good night, Percy," she answered.

He pulled away, leaned down, and gave her a quick kiss. Then, he turned and walked towards the door.

"Percy," she called.

He looked back at her. "Hmm?"

"I'm right here if you need anything, okay." The concerned look in her eyes warmed him to the core. As much as he hated admitting weakness, it was really nice to know that he didn't have to constantly be strong in front of some people, especially Annabeth.

He smiled. "I know. I love you, Annabeth."

She smiled back. "I love you, too. Go get some rest."

He nodded and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, especially since it is so long. I know, a monster, but I hope you liked it.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO.


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